Tag: Non-Renewable Resources

So let me get this straight: the argument a little while ago was ‘how could humans possibly think we could cause damage to the earth enough to change the climate. We couldn’t possibly have an impact on the earth’
(This from my interpretation of the climate change versus global warming argument.)

Now, it is ‘We have done so much damage that it is not worth it to make changes in our lifestyle’ I hear this as ‘We’re going to die off as a species eventually so why bother changing?’

It reminds me of the argument that people who chain smoke or drink heavily use to justify habits and lifestyles that have been proven to be unhealthy. In this case instead of a label saying ‘Smoking Kills’ maybe we should think that ‘Reckless use of non-renewable energy without a renewable alternative will tank the planet.’ or ‘Irresponsible use of resources = Earth death’ I’m sure there is a a marketing firm out there that could come up with a doozy… Although it is our positive messages that make the greatest impact on change, not the negative…

Back to my main point though which is this-> While we may make decisions individually, because we are a part of nature – which functions as a system – our actions have a global impact. From the policies of global manufacturers that we purchase from to our own household habits, our choices matter.

Paul Erlich said: “The fluttering of a butterfly’s wings can effect climate changes…” That is not to say that we should knock off all the butterflies for fear of a tornado. I think this science based thought supports that small actions can affect change.

Does it really hurt us to take a few seconds to think about what we need to do so that we can combine multiple errands into one trip? Does it drastically decrease our sense of happiness to be less wasteful?

I am not a proponent of Global Warming or Climate Change because to many people that topic is still up for debate. I choose, instead to bring up irresponsible global actions surrounding resources, which are destroying our environment. The very same Earth that we rely upon to provide us with our basic needs of food, water, and shelter. We can not listen to the political and media babble which distracts from this fundamental issue and encourages us to be recklessly inactive. Because of this, whether for reasons tied to climate change or not, we need to be responsible with our use of our planet.